FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates, in general, to reaction vessel construction and in particular to a new and useful catalyst bed reactor for the catalytic exothermic and endothermic reaction to produce methanol, ammonia and synthesis gas and higher alcohols.
The invention relates particularly to a vertical reactor for the production of methanol, ammonia, synthesis gas and higher alcohols.
A reactor for catalytic reactions, especially for the production of methanol, is known from DE-OS No. 32 33 049. In it, a recirculation pipe jacket extends from an upper collecting ring to a lower distributing ring, the jacket's pipes being constructed as reinforced pipe sections in the upper and lower section of the reactor. Into these pipes lead so-called handle pipes, whose vertical sections form passageways in which the reactive mass is found, the reactive mass resting on a mesh in the lower region of the oven.
A reactor is known from DE-OS No. 33 34 775, defining the generic character of the primary claim, in which the replacement of the exchanger pipes connected with the supporting headers requires the separation of each exchange pipe from the supporting header, or the separation of the supporting header, with all of the exchanger pipes connected with it, from the upper and lower collecting and distributing pipe.
With regard to this known reactor, the proposition of the invention is to develop a less expensive and structurally simpler construction of the connection of the exchanger pipes with the supporting headers or collecting and distributing pipes, with which a good replaceability and repairability of the exchanger pipes and a more advantageous stationary connection of the exchanger pipes with the collecting and distributing pipes are provided.